James
Stephenson
Whether you know it or not, you have spent your
whole life learning. You just may not have a fancy
printed certificate hanging on your wall to show for
it. Is now the time to make that step to get your
degree? Taking that step in the past was a scary, and
for many, impossible, feat. You don't have the time to
attend classes at night, you cannot afford the tuition
and travel expenses, or maybe you are uncomfortable in
a classroom setting. With the advent of the internet,
learning online may be the key to achieving your goals
and overcoming those challenges.
For many adults, continuing, or even finishing,
their education seems like an impossible task. The
reasons will be as varied as the individuals. Some may
include:
- There is just not enough time in the day to
deal with the challenges at home and work, and then
attend classes at night, or on weekends.
- For many it may be a fear associated with
failing in the classroom. I think we can all dig
bad memories out of the abyss of our mind about
classroom experiences that may still give us
nightmares.
- For some it may just be impossible to
physically to get to a school. You may live in the
backwoods of Alaska, or on some remote island in
the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where there is not
a school available.
- The list could go on for ever...
This does not have to be the case anymore.
With the advent of the internet, a new realm of
possibility has been opened for adult education. You
can now sit in the comfort of your home and continue
that education that was interrupted when the trials of
life got in the way. Proximity to a college is no
longer a barrier to obtaining a college education. Time
and distance should no longer be issues in the never
ending quest to improve ourselves.
However, in order to take advantage of this
opportunity, you need to decide if this really is the
right thing for you to do. Answers to the following
five questions will help you make that decision that
could propel you into the world of the electronic
university:
- What do you hope to accomplish? You
must have a specific goal in mind. It does not
necessarily have to be to achieve a degree however.
You may be doing it simply for the joy of learning
something new. But the idea is to have a specific
purpose. e.g. "I want to learn to program in
Java?", "I want to learn about the industrial
revolution", "I want to learn about_____ (you fill
in the blanks)".
- Are you a self starter? Making the
commitment to an online learning program is a major
step in your life. If your usual way of doing
things is to wait until someone gives you a
specific assignment and then fulfilling it to the
satisfaction of the person who gave it to you, then
an online learning environment may not be the thing
for you. You will need to allocate time and push
yourself beyond what you may be used to.
- Are you organized? This may seem
like an odd requirement, but being organized is a
necessity. You cannot be continually be searching
for where you placed that assignment you just
printed out last week, or where that article is
that your instructor requested you to read, etc...
You must develop a system for organizing your time,
assignments, and reading material.
- Are you committed to achieving your
goals? If this is just a whim, forget it.
If you are not committed to achieving your goals
you will not succeed. You must develop a firm
commitment to seeing this through to the end. Life
may unexpectedly throw you some curves that will
delay your completion; but you must keep your
ultimate goal in sight.
- Do you have the support of those closest to
you? Many people think that 'attending' an
online class is easier than a traditional classroom
environment. This is not the case. You may be able
to sit at home in your pajamas and 'go' to class,
but you will also have with it the attendant
interruptions and distractions. If you are in a
relationship, or have children at home, they must
know when it is time to leave you alone and when
you need their support. There will be many times
when you have to make choices between attending
events involving family members, or sitting down at
the computer and doing the research for the paper
you have due next weekend. Not only do you need to
be committed to the goals you have set, but so do
those closest to you.
An online education may or may not be the right
thing for you, only you can decide that. The questions
listed above will hopefully help you in making that
decision.